The present invention relates to a relay rack assembly for management of cross-connect products and various cable wires. More specifically, the relay rack assembly is designed and assembled to be self-squaring in which the vertical members of the rack are substantially perpendicular to the top and base of the rack.
Relay racks provide an efficient method of managing cross-connect products and a multiplicity of wires, such as cable and optical fiber. The racks are typically used in a termination closet and support patch panels, cable management panels, and power distribution equipment. The racks can also be used to hold equipment such as small routers and servers, monitors, and key boards. In addition, cable management channels are typically mounted on the outside of the vertical supports of the rack.
Conventional relay racks employ two vertical support members fixedly attached at both ends to a pair of top and bottom support flanges. The conventional racks require numerous steps and a plurality of fasteners to properly secure the vertical supports to the top and bottom flanges, resulting in inefficiency and increased costs in manufacturing and assembling the rack. In particular, the vertical supports must be bolted to one of either the top or bottom pair of flanges using a number of nut and bolt attachments. This step must then be repeated to attach the other pair of flanges to the vertical supports.
In addition, the conventional relay racks fail to ensure that the vertical supports will be square or substantially perpendicular to the support flanges. Thus, once the rack is assembled, the vertical supports may be improperly angled with respect to the support flanges, thereby resulting in either the rack falling down or its inability to properly support the cross connect products. This requires disassembly and reassembly of the rack.
An example of a prior art cross-connect product is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,698 to Bullivant.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a relay rack assembly that is self-squaring.
Another object of this invention is to provide a relay rack assembly that requires only a few assembly steps to arrange the vertical supports of the rack square with the top and bottom supports of the rack.
A further object of the invention is to provide a relay rack assembly that provides proper securing of the vertical supports with respect to the top and bottom supports with minimal fasteners.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a relay rack assembly that is cost effective to manufacture and assemble.
The foregoing objects are basically attained by a relay rack assembly, comprising a base having upper and lower surfaces, and a first guide portion extending from the upper surface and having a first engaging rib extending therefrom; a first vertical member coupled at one end to the base and having a main wall, and a first sidewall extending from the main wall, the main wall including a first fastener upwardly facing surface proximate the one end, and the first sidewall including a first slot engaging the first engaging rib of the base; and a first fastener insert having first and second portions, the first portion being engaged with the first fastener upwardly facing surface of the first vertical member and the second portion being releasably attached to the upper surface of said base, whereby the attachment of the first fastener insert and the engagement of the first engaging rib and the first slot supports the first vertical member substantially perpendicular to the base.
The foregoing objects are also attained by a method of assembling a vertical member with a base, the vertical member having a main wall and a first sidewall extending from the main wall, the main wall includes a first fastener opening, and the first sidewall includes a first slot, and the base having upper and lower surfaces, and a first guide portion extending from the upper surface, the first guide portion having a first engaging rib extending therefrom, comprising the steps of: placing the first sidewall of the vertical member adjacent the first guide portion of the base; sliding the vertical member downwardly with respect to the first guide portion until the vertical member abuts the upper surface of the base such that the first slot of the first sidewall engages the first engaging rib of the first guide portion; inserting a fastener insert having first and second portions into the fastener opening in the main wall of the vertical member; and attaching the second portion of the fastener insert to the upper surface of the base with the first portion of the fastener insert remaining in the fastener opening thereby squaring the vertical member with respect to the base.
By structuring the relay rack in this manner and assembling it in this fashion, minimal steps and fasteners are required to properly secure the rack with the vertical supports of the rack being square to the top and base supports.